Question NETGEAR 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged PoE Switch GS116PP is it a good switch?

weblooker2021

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Hi everyone,

I'll be adding home surveillance system to my house and i need to add a switch as i can't run the wire to my NVR. I am considering getting this switch and use it with this system . If there is something better please let me know.
 

Fallen Kell

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Personally at $200 for that switch, I would go the used market and get a Brocade/Rukus ICX6450 similar to this:

That will only cost you $140 or so shipped. Additional benefit is it is a fully managed layer 3 switch with 4xSFP+ 10GbE ports as well. But do some research, there is a HUGE thread on these switches over on serve the home:
 

aigomorla

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Hi everyone,

I'll be adding home surveillance system to my house and i need to add a switch as i can't run the wire to my NVR. I am considering getting this switch and use it with this system . If there is something better please let me know.

im lost...

you can run wire to the switch, but you cant move the NVR?
Why is it that you can not move the NVR?
If you can install a 16 port switch, i can't see how you can't move the NVR to the switch location.

So please explain to me your situation? we may have a better idea, like running a Repeater or a wireless bridge to the NVR, if you can not connect the NVR to the router.

But i own several reolink NVRs.
The NVR sets up its own Smart IoT network, with its own IP addresses.
Unless you want to totally bypass that, and run the cameras on your main IP, or run the switch the NVR, which i don't see why you would go about that route.
 

weblooker2021

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im lost...

you can run wire to the switch, but you cant move the NVR?
Why is it that you can not move the NVR?
If you can install a 16 port switch, i can't see how you can't move the NVR to the switch location.

So please explain to me your situation? we may have a better idea, like running a Repeater or a wireless bridge to the NVR, if you can not connect the NVR to the router.

But i own several reolink NVRs.
The NVR sets up its own Smart IoT network, with its own IP addresses.
Unless you want to totally bypass that, and run the cameras on your main IP, or run the switch the NVR, which i don't see why you would go about that route.
I'll be putting the switch in the garage. I can plug the switch in to the home network there. I plan to install NVR in the master bedroom closet. I have no easy way to run the wires to NVR location. With Reolink as i am sure you know NVR will be able to find all cameras on the network that is plugged in to the switch.
 

weblooker2021

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Jan 18, 2021
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Personally at $200 for that switch, I would go the used market and get a Brocade/Rukus ICX6450 similar to this:

That will only cost you $140 or so shipped. Additional benefit is it is a fully managed layer 3 switch with 4xSFP+ 10GbE ports as well. But do some research, there is a HUGE thread on these switches over on serve the home:
Thank you, I'll read up on it.
 

SamirD

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I'll be putting the switch in the garage. I can plug the switch in to the home network there. I plan to install NVR in the master bedroom closet. I have no easy way to run the wires to NVR location. With Reolink as i am sure you know NVR will be able to find all cameras on the network that is plugged in to the switch.
With that setup you really want to look into the brocade and managed switches in general as you DO NOT want your cameras talking to the outside world (aka phone home china).
 

aigomorla

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I'll be putting the switch in the garage. I can plug the switch in to the home network there. I plan to install NVR in the master bedroom closet. I have no easy way to run the wires to NVR location. With Reolink as i am sure you know NVR will be able to find all cameras on the network that is plugged in to the switch.

Im still lost why does the NVR need to be in the bedroom closet?
why not put it in the garage?

Are you worried about someone walking away with the NVR?
And yes the scenario you described will open all access to the cameras and i second SamirD recommendation, as you really should setup a second VLAN on a managed switch and TAG all the switches on its own VLAN.

Its not just about security, its the fact if someone just happens to get access to your home network, well, now they have full access to all your cameras.
Also at this point the reolink NVR is pointless. You may as well run the reolink software or blueirus and throw it its own machine which is far more stable..
 
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weblooker2021

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Im still lost why does the NVR need to be in the bedroom closet?
why not put it in the garage?

Are you worried about someone walking away with the NVR?
And yes the scenario you described will open all access to the cameras and i second SamirD recommendation, as you really should setup a second VLAN on a managed switch and TAG all the switches on its own VLAN.

Its not just about security, its the fact if someone just happens to get access to your home network, well, now they have full access to all your cameras.
Also at this point the reolink NVR is pointless. You may as well run the reolink software or blueirus and throw it its own machine which is far more stable..
Yes walking away with NVR is my biggest worry. Sure i could be hacked but honestly i am not to worry about it. I am mostly worry about home getting robbed and NVR being taken away with any evidence on it. With that being said, would you recommend I get BROCADE icx6450-48P POE+ STACKABLE SWITCH WITH 4 SFP PORTS instead?
 

aigomorla

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Yes walking away with NVR is my biggest worry. Sure i could be hacked but honestly i am not to worry about it. I am mostly worry about home getting robbed and NVR being taken away with any evidence on it. With that being said, would you recommend I get BROCADE icx6450-48P POE+ STACKABLE SWITCH WITH 4 SFP PORTS instead?

Well i would recommend a managed PoE switch otherwise your going to run 12V line along with the lan cable to each camera, as the NVR is a PoE switch.

As for that brocade, i do not know enough about that switch to give you any reliable recommendation.
I personally like Ubiquiti, but that brocade sits higher on the enterprise category then this guy for example.

But since its used equipment, your getting a better deal, as used enterprise gear tends to be discounted heavily, due to IT wanting to clear out old junk when they do upgrades.
There is a saying to one man's junk another man's treasure.
I think used Enterprise gear fits nicely in that statement... to corps, it is junk, but to users like us, it can be a very nice treasure.

Just note enterprise switches can get LOUD... again not sure how loud that brocade is tho.
 
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weblooker2021

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Well i would recommend a managed PoE switch otherwise your going to run 12V line along with the lan cable to each camera, as the NVR is a PoE switch.

As for that brocade, i do not know enough about that switch to give you any reliable recommendation.
I personally like Ubiquiti, but that brocade sits higher on the enterprise category then this guy for example.

But since its used equipment, your getting a better deal, as used enterprise gear tends to be discounted heavily, due to IT wanting to clear out old junk when they do upgrades.
There is a saying to one man's junk another man's treasure.
I think used Enterprise gear fits nicely in that statement... to corps, it is junk, but to users like us, it can be a very nice treasure.

Just note enterprise switches can get LOUD... again not sure how loud that brocade is tho.
Thanks for the link, i know someone that probably deal with these switches on daily bases so i will ask that person. I will probably be back as it been a while since i done creating separate vlan
 

Fallen Kell

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I wanted to chime in a little more about the brocade since I was the one to bring them up in the first place. It will take some research/learning on how to properly configure them if you have not previously configured an enterprise switch like a CISCO. There are a bunch of youtube videos on many of the features and how to do it, and on the website I linked there is an excellent tutorial on how to first configure the switch going through updating it's firmware to the latest, setting proper passwords and initial security settings so that it is ready for actual use.

I personally have a ICX6610, which is much more than what you need, and is about 2x more expensive. The 6610 is also a 40GbE capable platform (which is why I bought it), but it most definitely is considered on the loud side (there are some recent hacks in quieting them, but the other switches like the 6450 are more compatible for having their fans modified/replaced with quieter ones available on the market and are much quieter in general). The 6610 also has redundant hot-swap fan modules and power-supplies which was another reason I went for it since I was going to use it as my network core switch, not just an edge switch for a specific use. Now I can say that the 6610 has a web based interface available that can be useful for people who are not accustomed to enterprise grade switches, which can let poke around a lot easier for features and capabilities than using the command line. I am not certain the 6450 has this capability, but for just creating some basic VLANs and setting up some access control lists to determine what traffic can communicate to the VLAN you designate for your security cams, you should be able to follow several tutorials and examples that are out there even for command line.

But again, do some research on them, watch some of the youtube videos. These switches won't be for everyone due to them being actual enterprise grade with enterprise level configuration/managment. Take some time to read the datasheet/FAQ on the 6450 switch line-up as there are probably a dozen models and you want to make sure you get what fits your needs and verify that the PoE capabilities will meet your requirements. If you are simply going to use it as the edge switch in the garage, and the only network devices connected to it will be these security cams, you can probably look at the 24 port switch (which will also draw a little less power).
 
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weblooker2021

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Fallen Kell Thank you for reply , i do have some experience with cisco products and command line but it been about 8 years since i done it. I am now in accounting which is world away. Is there a specific model number for 24 port poe switch? I honestly like the idea of getting enterprise edition if i can also safe money, just never thought about going that way.
 
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killster1

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I wanted to chime in a little more about the brocade since I was the one to bring them up in the first place. It will take some research/learning on how to properly configure them if you have not previously configured an enterprise switch like a CISCO. There are a bunch of youtube videos on many of the features and how to do it, and on the website I linked there is an excellent tutorial on how to first configure the switch going through updating it's firmware to the latest, setting proper passwords and initial security settings so that it is ready for actual use.

I personally have a ICX6610, which is much more than what you need, and is about 2x more expensive. The 6610 is also a 40GbE capable platform (which is why I bought it), but it most definitely is considered on the loud side (there are some recent hacks in quieting them, but the other switches like the 6450 are more compatible for having their fans modified/replaced with quieter ones available on the market and are much quieter in general). The 6610 also has redundant hot-swap fan modules and power-supplies which was another reason I went for it since I was going to use it as my network core switch, not just an edge switch for a specific use. Now I can say that the 6610 has a web based interface available that can be useful for people who are not accustomed to enterprise grade switches, which can let poke around a lot easier for features and capabilities than using the command line. I am not certain the 6450 has this capability, but for just creating some basic VLANs and setting up some access control lists to determine what traffic can communicate to the VLAN you designate for your security cams, you should be able to follow several tutorials and examples that are out there even for command line.

But again, do some research on them, watch some of the youtube videos. These switches won't be for everyone due to them being actual enterprise grade with enterprise level configuration/managment. Take some time to read the datasheet/FAQ on the 6450 switch line-up as there are probably a dozen models and you want to make sure you get what fits your needs and verify that the PoE capabilities will meet your requirements. If you are simply going to use it as the edge switch in the garage, and the only network devices connected to it will be these security cams, you can probably look at the 24 port switch (which will also draw a little less power).
What's funny I guess I bought one of the nice 200$ 10gb poe brocade switch. But it's still sitting in the box never opened it, didn't feel like spending all day setting it up and continue to use my netgear dumb switches that have been working great with regular router and few rules / vlans.
 

Fallen Kell

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Fallen Kell Thank you for reply , i do have some experience with cisco products and command line but it been about 8 years since i done it. I am now in accounting which is world away. Is there a specific model number for 24 port poe switch? I honestly like the idea of getting enterprise edition if i can also safe money, just never thought about going that way.
I think the 24 port versions with PoE end with “-24P”. I think there are also ones with an “F” in the end which changes the direction of the cooling fans (I think meaning “Front” exhaust, but best to double check that). My 6610 is front exhaust as I knew I was putting it in my mini rack and cable management wise it made more sense to have the majority of the ports on the back of the rack where all my other network connections would be coming from instead of running the wires out to the front of the rack. Just make sure you pickup one with a “P” as that is for the PoE capability (not the end of the world if you do not, but you then need to find the PoE board on its own and then install it yourself, which would probably cost more than just getting the correct one from the beginning). Make sure the buyer you purchase from is offering a guaranteed working with like a 30 or 90 day replacement/refund plan (this stuff is used, and they don’t always check that everything is really working because it takes more time than it is worth).
 
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Fallen Kell

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What's funny I guess I bought one of the nice 200$ 10gb poe brocade switch. But it's still sitting in the box never opened it, didn't feel like spending all day setting it up and continue to use my netgear dumb switches that have been working great with regular router and few rules / vlans.
It doesn’t take all day to setup, just 30-45 minutes to do the basic wipe/update to latest firmware/set passwords. You can load either a switch only (layer 2), or router (layer 3) firmware on most of these if you simply want to use as a managed switch with basic VLAN capability. But seriously I would run the full layer 3 code base and spend the extra time configuring it.

You will need a proper cable in most cases to do the initial setup, but that changes depending on the model you get. Mine worked with a standard usb->com port cable I already had around. Might cost $10 or so if you don’t have one (but most people who have worked on enterprise hardware already have these laying around).
 
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SamirD

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I am honestly not worry about that. What are they going to see my boring front /back yard?
They use it as a pivot point to attack your network and get your banking and other personal info and then when you least expect it, use it or sell it to criminals who do to fund illegal activities and crimes against humanity. It's the ignorant 'what are they going to see' attitude that has them infiltrating the entire world to control it like in the home country. Cyberwarfare is a real thing and it's the next level of war that's being fought continuously and the citizens are the pawns and silent armies. Don't contribute to the problem and secure your stuff.
 

SamirD

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Yes walking away with NVR is my biggest worry. Sure i could be hacked but honestly i am not to worry about it. I am mostly worry about home getting robbed and NVR being taken away with any evidence on it.
 
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Fallen Kell

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Yes walking away with NVR is my biggest worry. Sure i could be hacked but honestly i am not to worry about it. I am mostly worry about home getting robbed and NVR being taken away with any evidence on it.
From that standpoint, they are more likely to find it in your bedroom than in the garage.... Almost all criminals will search your bedroom for valuables (cash, jewelry, watches, guns, safes).
 
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killster1

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Idk where they find it first but if you have a big bolt down safe you can rub the wires into it. Really Chinese hikvision cameras are going to hack the rest my network and jump to a new vlan!?!? And really I can setup a brocade layer 3 switxh in 30 mins to protect me against the Chinese!!?!?